Irony
by BloodOfEden
Summary: How do you say goodbye to someone you love? Sandle, Character Death....Please READ AND REVIEW. Sequal is up!
1. Irony

Greg couldn't believe it. He had asked Sara out and she FINALLY said yes. He ran out from his apartment to his car. He was one of his tight blue t-shirts, jeans, and Converse All Stars that were classic black and white. He quickly shoved his arms through a black hoodie. He zipped it up and shuffled through his pant's pockets for his keys. With a jingle he pulled them out and opened the door, sliding into his car. He checked himself in the mirror. His hair was spiked up, choppy, and all over the place like he used to have it. Ironically enough, this was at Sara's request. He started his car and started on his way to Sara's apartment.

He felt like he was touching God. He felt invincible, like nothing could stop him, or even touch him. He was high, but not on drugs, on life, on love, on Sara. He kept on imagining what she would look like, what she would be wearing. They had made it clear to each other that this was nothing fancy. He wanted to take it slow with her. Simple movie and a dinner, nothing more to it. But still, he was excited. In fact, he was excited to the point of being nervous, and nervous to the point of feeling like he was going to through up. He took a deep breath. The butterflies in his stomach were zooming around like Kamikaze planes. He could feel the sweat on his palms as he gripped the steering wheel. What if she didn't have a good time? What if he screwed up?

Is train of thoughts roared to a stop as he pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex. He sighed, shaking his head. He was going to do this. He was going to take Sara Sidle out to a movie, and then to dinner. He was going to do it; he was going to do it.

They were driving through a wooded area, taking the long way back to Sara's apartment. Greg looked across the car to Sara who was smiling and looking back at him. They were rocking out to a song by Brand New (which was ironically both of their favorites.) They saw 'Tim Burton's: Corpse Bride.' They both thought it was great. Then dinner they discussed on how they didn't like the ending. They both agreed that Johnny Depp should have married the corpse bride in stead. But after that they're conversations were good and enjoyed mutually. Greg was still embarrassed about how once, when he was coming back from the bathroom, he missed his chair and landed on his ass. Sara got a good laugh out of that. He was glad he could make her laugh so easily. He was glad she was so comfortable around him. He was glad that she felt like she could let her guard down around him. He was glad.

The conversation fell silent. Sara looked at him, then looked away, then back at him, then away again.

" What?" he asked.

" Oh nothing, it's not important." She shrugged off.

" Sara, c'mon. If it's coming from you it's gotta be important, right?" Greg reasoned.

" I just…I just had a really good time tonight. A great time, actually. Better than I've had in a long, long time, and I have you to thank."

Upon saying that, Sara looked up at Greg and gave him a loving look. Greg could feel it again. He was touching God again. He smiled, his invincibility back. Sara had a good time with him, him, Greg Sanders, the once goofy lab tech that everyone was annoyed by. He looked at Sara, sharing the same loving look.

" Sara, if I died right now, I'd die happy. And I have you to thank. I'm so glad that I'm here with you know. It'll let me be a peace forever." He said as he looked at her, forgetting he was driving. He leaned over and kissed her on the lips. But the connection between them was short lived.

Suddenly he saw Sara's eyes get wide, her face suddenly bathed in a pale light. He narrowed his eyes, looking ahead of him. He heard her scream his name as he swerved.

Sara weakly opened her eyes. She saw a tree in front of her, on the outside of the car. Steam rose up from under the hood. Sara looked closer, through the cracked windshield of the car. Red and blue lights were bouncing off of the tree. She lifted her head slightly and turned it towards the door on her side. There was what she could only assume to be an EMT. Suddenly a female paramedic ripped her door open. She carefully unbuckled Sara's seatbelt and dragged her out of the car and onto the ground outside.

" Miss? Miss? How many fingers am I holding up? Can you tell me that? Can you speak?" came her concerned voice.

Sara opened her eyes again. She looked at the woman hovering above her. Her vision was blurry, she couldn't see it that clearly, and so she guessed. " Three…?"

Suddenly Sara could suddenly feel herself being lifted up and placed on what she thought was a gurney. She was wheeled over to the ambulance, she could tell because the lights got brighter. But then she remembered.

She sat up. " Greg? Where's Greg?"

" Miss, lay back."

" Where's Greg?"

" Lay back, miss!"

" I need Greg."

" She's not laying down. Should I?"

" Do it."

Suddenly Greg appeared. Sara relaxed and laid back. " Greg."

He smiled down at her. She looked in his eyes. They looked odd…sad, dull even. But she didn't care, she was just so happy to see him.

The paramedics kept rattling off annoying things about Sara's condition. She probably should have been listening, but she wasn't. She was too focused on Greg. She was holding his hand now. Then suddenly she wondered why they weren't looking over him. In fact, Greg didn't have a scratch on him. The only thing new about him was the paleness of his skin and the sad kind of happiness in his eyes. She could have sworn she saw a tear roll down his cheek. She reached up to wipe it away from his face. As her hand touched him, he put his on hers. He was so cold. Icy to the touch. She couldn't hold it in anymore. She cried.

They put Sara in a hospital room right next to the waiting room. The paramedics had no problem taking her away from Greg. They ran her off on the stretcher as is he wasn't even there. He followed her in, but dared not come in her room while anyone else was there. She saw him from her window, hunched over, elbows on his knees, face in his hands, on the edge of his seat. He was rocking back in forth, shaking and shivering, maybe even crying.

It hurt Sara to see him like that. He didn't mean to hurt her, she knew it. Suddenly she could feel the guilt creep in to her system, as well as exhaustion. She didn't want to fall asleep, though. She didn't want to leave Greg behind in the world of the living. If she had only known then, that it might have already been to late.

Sara opened her eyes. She looked around and saw Catherine in her room. She looked out the window, but didn't see Greg.

" Cat?"

" Oh, sorry, Sara. I was hoping you were still awake."

" It's fine. What are you doing here?"

" I, uh, I'm sorry Sara. I know this is the last thing you need right now, but…I need to ask you some question about what happened tonight."

Sara sat up. " Why?"

" Just to get a better idea of what happened. To make sure that it was, in fact, an accident."

Sara sighed. Slowly, she replayed the whole thing in her head. " We were having such a good time. It was just a normal date, well, as normal as Greg can get anyway…"

Catherine smiled at this, but not a normal smile. A kind of, sadly happy smile. She had the same kind of look in her eyes that Greg had in the ambulance. Sara thought this was odd, but she continued anyway. She figured Greg would tell her later. " He was driving me back home. We decided to take the long way back. We were driving through the woods. I told him how much of a good time I had. He said that if he was to…" Sara's eyes widened as she realized exactly what it was that he had said.

Catherine looked intently upon Sara. " Said what? He said what?"

" He said that if he were to die right then, that he'd die happy. And that he had me to thank. He said that knowing that he was there with me, would let him be at peace…forever…" her eyes welled up with tears. But she blinked them back. She had to be strong, for Greg. " Then he kissed me. I looked away because I was embarrassed, and that's when I saw the truck…" she swallowed hard, feeling like she was swallowing a stone. " He swerved, but it hit us. He swerved just enough though, that it only hit his side of the car. It was like he was protecting me. It happened so fast. The kiss was over, and then the swerve. It was like he knew it was going to happen. Then the car hit a tree, and that's the last thing I remember."

Catherine nodded her head slowly, her eyes welling up with tears. Why was she so sad? What did she have to be sad about? Suddenly Catherine's cell phone rang. She answered it, and Sara listened.

" Willows…. Hey, did you find anything… A note? Is it addressed to anyone?" Catherine's eyes got wide as she looked to Sara. " I'll be right there." She hung up. "Listen, Sara, I've got to go back to the scene to get something. But I'll be right back, okay?"

"Alright."

Catherine sped over to the scene. She didn't know how many accidents she just narrowly avoided, but at the moment she didn't care. She pulled over to where Greg's car still was. She sighed and rolled down her window. Grissom walked over.

" This was in the glove compartment." He was about to hand it to her, when Nick stumbled out of the woods. Catherine saw him wipe the vomit from his face. She felt the tears come back again. She looked down at the letter in her hand. It was defiantly Greg's handwriting. It was addressed to Sara. She looked down at it, then back up to Grissom. He looked so worried, so stressed, so…tired. Catherine looked back over to Greg's car. Things would never be the same again.

Sara was awakened yet again by Catherine. She looked up at the older woman, and she immediately got worried. Catherine looked so sad. She'd never been this sad before.

Catherine handed Sara the letter, a tear streaming down her cheek.

Sara looked down at it. It had her name on it, in Greg's handwriting. She looked up at Catherine, her eyes wide. She opened it and read.

_Dear Sara,_

_I don't think I've ever had such a hard time writing a letter as I am right now. I mean, how do you say goodbye? First thing I want you to know, is that I love you. I always have, and I always will, forever. Ever since the first time I saw you, I knew it. You probably didn't feel the same way, but that's okay. It doesn't matter now anyway. So here it goes…when I woke up this morning, I knew it. I didn't know how I knew it, I just did. I woke up and the scene just played by my mind. I opened my eyes again and I knew it. I knew that today was the day I was going to die. I didn't know it at first, but as the things from my dream started to actually happen in real life, I knew it was true. So that's when I decided, if I was going to die, I was going to die with the person I loved. If today really was my last day on earth, then I needed to spend it with you, Sara. Which is why I'm glad you said yes when I asked you out. And what I said was true. I really was glad that my last moments were with you. It's how I wanted it. So don't be sad. And don't go beating yourself up over it, and don't try to say that you aren't cause I know you are. I know you Sara, whether it feels like I do or not. I don't really know why I'm writing this letter to you. It doesn't matter, what I'm saying. They're just empty words. Or maybe they're more; maybe I just can't see it yet. I mean, here I am, sitting in the bathroom stall of the diner, with you waiting for me. Maybe I don't really believe it myself yet. There are a lot of maybes, Sara. A lot of stuff I haven't seen or done yet. A lot of stuff I'm not sure of yet. But if there's one thing I am sure of, it's that I love you. And that I am ready. I'm ready for death. It's my time and I accept that. So I guess this is my goodbye. This, and I kiss I'm going to try and give you later. I'm sorry if it sucks, I'm not really sure how good I am at kissing. I guess I should shut up now. Can't keep a lady waiting, after all, especially you. Don't mourn me, Sara. Remember me for who I was, who I am. You are my heaven in life and death. Remember that, and keep it with you always. I love you, Sara Sidle. Always have, always will._

_See you around…_

_Greg (Greggo) Sanders_

Sara had to read the letter a couple times, to actually understand what he was saying. She her eyes welled up with tears, and she made no effort this time to hold them back. She looked up at Catherine through her tears.

Catherine nodded, seeming to immediately understand. She left the room and went to check Sara out. She only had a mild concussion from when her head hit the windshield. Lucky for her, she was wearing a seatbelt.

The drive over to the scene was quiet. They got closer and Sara tried to stop crying. Catherine hadn't even stopped the car when Sara ran out of it. She walked over to Greg's car. The lights were still on, the engine still running. Sara took a deep breath and walked over to the driver's side. Where she saw Greg, laying face up, his eyes glazed over, his blood still warm as it gushed out of the wound on his head. His eyes were open. Sara dropped to her knees next to him. She looked down at him, and she let it out all over again, crying like no other. She gently took her hand over his forehead. She slowly closed his eyes, putting him at peace.

She suddenly got the urge to look down the road. There was a kind of eerie white fog rising up from the road. She saw Greg there, standing and watching her. He had that goofy smile on his face. It made Sara smile through her tears. She watched as he started to back away, but still faced her. He looked down, then back to her. He waved, and she waved back. He smiled again, as he turned around, walking down the road. Sara wanted to scream out to him, to tell him to wait, and not to leave. But she didn't. It was his time, he accepted it, and so did she. She merely watched him as he disappeared in to the fog.

" See you around…" she mumbled.


	2. Author's Note

Hello all. I hope you like my one-shot. And I'm terribly sorry if I made you cry, but in all honesty, that was my goal. So if it's any consolation, I give great thanks to those who did cry. Lol. And if you didn't, that's okay too. Now, I am in the process of writing a sequel to 'Irony.' But I will only post it if there's interest, so tell me if you would like me to post it…otherwise, thank you so much for reading my story. You guys as readers mean so much to me. Believe it or not, you are the reason I keep writing at all. Thank you.

Ravyn


	3. Love Will Set Me Free

My mother always said that love would set me free… 

I sat down in the break room of the crime lab. I was supposed to be going over a file right now, but all I could seem to do was stare at the manila envelope on the table in front of me. I couldn't quite get a grip on this case, let alone bid my hand to open the file. This just had to happen, today of all days, and to me of all people!

I sighed again. You know the saying, 'Curiosity killed the cat'? Well, I'm not exactly dead, but it did feel like this case was killing me, but in more of a mental rather than physical way. I looked down to the tab on the file, almost daring myself to. I knew the heartache that would come from looking at it, but I did it anyway. I looked at the name scribbled in my handwriting on that tab. It read _Robert Gregory Sanders._ I felt my gut leap. That was the name of the victim of my new case. And Robert, though bearing no physical resemblance to Greg, was like him in every way. I know that doesn't make sense, but nothing really seems to today. I sighed and banged my head against the table a couple of times. When I looked up, Catherine was there.

" Easy there, Sara, you don't need anymore head injuries. We need that brain of yours." Catherine said, the motherly concern oozing out of her voice.

I looked at her, a less than amused look on my face.

Catherine straightened up and pulled a chair next to mine. " You doing okay?"

" In all honesty, no, Cat, I'm really not. I'm falling apart piece by piece, and it hurts like hell. I try to get a grip on things, to keep myself here and not loose it, and I'm almost there, when Grissom throws something like this at me." I passed the file over to Catherine.

She scanned it over quickly, anger chasing her concern away. " Are you kidding me? Grissom actually gave you this case? You, of all people!"

I smirked, though what I was feeling did not match it at all. " What are you trying to say, Cat?"

Catherine looked at me. " Sorry, Sara, I'm not trying to say you aren't good, but what the hell? Grissom knows full well that he can't give anyone on this team a case like this, especially today, and especially you."

I looked at my colleague. Ever since the crash, Catherine and I had really bonded. Dar I say it, we were even friends now. We'd spend time with each other; even go to the mall with Lindsey. We were close now, which I had almost feared. I loved Catherine like the sister I never had, and that used to be the problem. We had become just as close as Greg and I, (before he asked me out, that is) and then he died. For a while there, I was afraid the same thing would happen to Cat, but I'm over that now. I looked at her, very vague amusement on my face.

" Oh…sorry Sara. I'm not saying the right stuff today."

" No, it's fine. I understand.

Catherine looked down, then back at me, a mischievous look in her eyes that I knew all to well. " What do you say, we go down to his office and start our own personal rebellion?"

I couldn't help but laugh. " I dunno Catherine, I've tried it before."

" Oh c'mon Sara."

I smiled but shook my head. " Go ahead without me okay?"

Catherine was obviously disappointed, but the determination remained in her eyes. "Alright, I'll go talk some sense into him, and then, we'll go out for breakfast, okay?"

I smiled. " On you?"

She nodded. " On me."

" Then I'm in."

Catherine stormed down the hallway. She was about ready to set Gil's office on fire, but she kept her cool. Sadly, she had to pass the DNA lab on her way to his office. It was so otherworldly there now. Unearthly quiet. It had been a year since the crash, a year since Greg died, and she still wasn't used to it. But it wasn't just that. It was exactly a year ago today that it happened. Everybody was effected, all of them united under silence in memory of his passing.

Catherine came upon Grissom's office. The door was open, and classical music spilled out into the hallway. Grissom was writing something at his desk, and over the noise and his concentration, he didn't seem to have noticed Catherine's presence.

She picked a coin out of her pocket and chucked it at the stereo, silencing it immediately. Then she leaned up against the doorway, crossing her arms over her chest. " So, are a complete ass, or did you just not take your meds today?"

Grissom looked up. " Ah, Catherine. A pleasure as always, but you know, a nice hello would do fine."

" What's up with Sara's case?"

" What do you mean?"

" Why did you give it to Sara?"

" Why not?"

" Why not? Are you kidding me? Griss, do you even know which case you gave her?"

" What's your point here, Catherine?"

" Gil, none of us are fit to handle that case, especially Sara, and you know that!"

" Which case is this?"

Catherine sighed and rubbed her temples. " The Robert Gregory Sanders Case. Young white male, fresh out of college, majored in forensic science, died in a car crash with suspicious circs. Any of this ringing a bell?"

Grissom sighed. " Look Catherine, I know how this must feel on Sara, but we can't just stop doing our jobs. People are still dying and it is our job to give them justice. I can't just pass off every case that comes in here that has even the slightest in common with Greg's death. We can't allow this to effect us. I gave this case to Sara because I felt she would do the best with it."

" Even if it kills her?" and with that warning, Catherine left.

The ride over to he diner was a quiet one. Sara knew by the look on Catherine's face that she wasn't getting taken off the case. But she wasn't sure that she would have wanted to get taken off even if she had the chance. She felt like she owed it to Greg to finish it. Even if it drove her insane.

Sara looked out the window of the diner. She looked up at the sky. It was a beautiful day, some wispy clouds in the blue sky and the sun shining down brightly. Sara looked over to Catherine.

" Hey Cat?" she began, a question tearing through her thoughts.

" Yeah?"

"What do you think happens next?"

" Next after what?"

" When we die. What do you think happens next?"

Catherine looked at Sara intently. " Well, I guess you move on, get reincarnated or go to heaven or hell or where ever."

" Do you think there is a heaven?"

Catherine took in a deep breath. " I believe that every person has their own version of heaven, and that when it's their time they go there. There on personal paradise."

Sara smiled. " I like that. What do you think Greg's heaven is like?"

Catherine smiled and chuckled a bit. " Probably filled with nice cars, forensic science, his college buddies, and you."

" Me?"

" Yeah. I mean c'mon Sara, it was no secret how he felt about you."

Their food came, and they were both silent for a while. Then Sara got a new question. "What happens if you're ready to move on before it's your time?"

" What do you mean?"

" Well, no one really knows a whole lot about life, right? Even scientists, they don't know the theoretical meaning of life, of what it means to live. No one really does. No one knows why we're here, or what we we're meant to do. What if someone did know…what do you think would happen to them?"

" Well, I think, maybe if you do know, then you're done with this."

" Done with what?"

" Well, say there are different levels of life. If you do figure out this one, maybe you move on to the next one."

Sara considered this. " Yeah…"

" What are you getting at?" Catherine asked.

Sara looked at Catherine. She was the only one Sara let read the letter. Catherine was the only other person in the world who knew what happened to Greg the day he died. " Well, you remember how he said he had a vision that he was going to die? Maybe that was a test. And by accepting his death, he was able to move on to the next level."

Catherine sat back. She was speechless. This didn't sound like it was just a spur of the moment kind of thing. It sounded like Sara had been thinking about this for a while. But what exactly was Sara getting at? Was she trying to tell Catherine something that she just wasn't seeing?

Sara stood at Greg's gravestone. She read the bottom inscription. _He put a smile on everyone's face. He lightened the darkest of hearts. He was loved by all, and love set him free. _Sara looked down. She was alone; Catherine was in the car, waiting for her. Sara closed her eyes tight, fighting the tears with all her might. She steadied herself and opened her eyes, only this time, she saw Greg, leaning on his gravestone, looking exactly the same as the last time she saw him. Except for one difference. The sad kind of happy was gone from his eyes. Now he just looked, content if anything.

" Greg," was all she could say.

He looked at her, like maybe he was happy. " Sara, what's wrong?"

" I can't do it Greg. I can't keep doing…this…"

" What?"

" Living…without you. I can't do it. I don't feel the same way I used to. I just feel, tired, by everything. Nothing feels worth my energy. I just can't see myself going on much longer without going completely crazy."

" Yeah, I know how that feels."

" It's just like, my mother always told me that love would set me free. But I only loved you, Greg. And know that your gone, I just…I just can't…" she closed her eyes and turned her head.

She felt Greg's hand on her cheek. It wasn't ice cold anymore. Now it was warm. He looked in her eyes. Thunder roared somewhere in the distance as the clouds got darker.

Catherine couldn't believe her eyes. It couldn't be…she couldn't…. was that Greg?

Greg's hand left Sara's cheek and wrapped around her own hand. " Do you know why I'm here, Sara?"

" No, not really."

" I came to get you."

Sara opened her eyes and looked in his. " What?"

" I came to get you, Sara. It's your time."

Sara blinked. She backed up a couple of steps. She was going to die? She was going to die…? " I'm going to die?"

" If you accept it."

Sara looked around the graveyard, then to Catherine, who was now standing outside of the car. They looked at each other, exchanging words without really saying anything. Their eyes said it all. Catherine nodded in that sad kind of happiness.

Sara turned back to Greg. He took both of her hands in his, and she leaned in to him, and they shared a kiss.

I saw the whole thing happen. They kissed and then suddenly, a bolt of lightning came down and hit Sara full on. I'm not sure if she ever really felt the pain, but I don't think she did. And she got her wish, she was cremated and I let her ashes fly with the wind. It's how she would have wanted it.

I went home to Lindsey that evening, and I hugged her so hard. I didn't let go. I know how lucky I am to have her. Like Greg kept Sara going (no matter how short of a time it was), Lindsey keeps me going, and I thank God everyday for that.

I told the rest of the team that it was an accident and couldn't be helped, because it really was. But I was the only one who knew. I was the only one Sara told anything to. I knew she wasn't happy here. I can only imagine how happy she is now. And I knew she was in good hands, so that lessened the worry. And her and Greg finally got to be together. I guess I underestimated how much she actually did love him. I know it must seem tragic to most people, but I don't really think it is. Sara died in Greg's arms, and she's with him now. Wherever they are, I know they're together, and I know they're happy. It's just the way it should have been. After all, Sara always knew…she always knew that love would set her free. And it really did…


	4. Author's Note: RELOADED

Hello all.

It's been a while, I know. I can't tell you how much I loved everyone's reviews. And I'm sorry, but I was pleasantly happy at how many people cried, seeing as how it was my original goal. That must make me sound evil, but hey…Anyway, it's a guilty pleasure of mine to write something and have people react the way I wanted them to. I also felt the need to mention that, as strange as it may sound, the sequel 'Love Will Set Me Free' was actually inspired by Jennifer Tilly's performance in…(Okay, are you ready for this?)…Her performance in 'The Bride of Chucky'. Okay, okay, go ahead, laugh away. It was just as her character was dying and said "My mother always told me that love would set me free." Then, BOOM, out of nowhere, with that one line I felt the need to write something about it. And I was like, "Hey, why don't I use that as a sequel to 'Irony'?"

Haha. Yeah, I find that funny too. Anyway, I hope I did it in a way that was satisfying to you, the audience, for I am just a slave of the people. For without you I have no reason to write, and without writing, the world would just suck. So I thank you for taking the time out of your busy lives to read what I have to say. It means a great deal to me. It's like this never-ending chain. I write, you comment, I fix, you comment, I write, you comment…you get the idea. But then, in my so presumed slavery, my word gets to people and I rise above and RULE YOU ALL.

Haha. I wish. Wow, I just totally ruined the mood I set for the story, did I? Well anyway, I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who were kind enough to review, and thank you to all of you who just bothered to read. (And in a selfish move to bring my story back up in the recent updates so more people read it. . ;))

Also, before I go, I realized that a lot of you wanted me to write a sequel to my sequel. I'm not quite sure how to go about this, so please, if you have any ideas at all LET ME KNOW. I'm eager to please the public, and now we all know how easily inspired I am, so ANY AND ALL IDEAS ARE WELCOME!

Thank you all, and I suppose I'll be seeing you around…

Until then,

Ravyn

(AKA BloodOfEden)


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